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fat in sausage

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Tom Kurth View Drop Down
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    Posted: 23 May 2015 at 15:59
Have been investigating making sausage at home for some time now. Tried making a fresh Polish sausage and was disappointed in the results. It came out dry, very dry, distastefully dry. Get the idea? I was using a recipe from a book I bought. This was suggested as a good starter recipe.

Trying to diagnose what went wrong, I came up with two possibilities: One, I used my KitchenAid mixer as grinder and stuffer. Could the coarse blade be yet too fine? Two, I used pork shoulder as the meat. As I recall, the recipe called for X pounds of lean and Y pounds of fat. I had no good way of separating the two. Could I have been too lean in my mix?

Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

Best,
Tom

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote drinks Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 May 2015 at 22:56
I make a lot of sausage, at least 200 lbs a year, my basic meat is boston butt, I may add other meats if I happen to have them,but I try to keep the lean/fat at about80-20.
If I use just boston butt,I have never had a problem with the product being dry.
I grind and then stuff as separate operations using a stuffer , not the mixer and I have settled on one pass through the grinder with an 8mm plate, that is 5/16"
I am wanting a sausage, not store bought hot dogs with their processed meat paste.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hoser Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 May 2015 at 02:07
I agree with drinks about the one pass through the grinder...I like a little texture to my sausage, but my best have have been close to 40% fat. I think a 70-30 ratio of lean to fat is better.

Did the recipe you used call for any liquid at all? 
Some ice water or ice cold wine can do wonders for your sausage.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Percebes Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 May 2015 at 13:05
Originally posted by Tom Kurth Tom Kurth wrote:

Have been investigating making sausage at home for some time now. Tried making a fresh Polish sausage and was disappointed in the results. It came out dry, very dry, distastefully dry. Get the idea? I was using a recipe from a book I bought. This was suggested as a good starter recipe.

Trying to diagnose what went wrong, I came up with two possibilities: One, I used my KitchenAid mixer as grinder and stuffer. Could the coarse blade be yet too fine? Two, I used pork shoulder as the meat. As I recall, the recipe called for X pounds of lean and Y pounds of fat. I had no good way of separating the two. Could I have been too lean in my mix?

Any suggestions greatly appreciated.



If possible please post the recipe and procedure. It would be helpful.

Many recipes recommend pork shoulder, but usually that means whole shoulder untrimmed. In this fashion the meat/fat ratios are maintained for a good result. If you have purchased smaller packages of pork shoulder then they have been portioned and trimmed of the requisite fat. Right cut but essential elements removed.

Pork shoulder is usually sold divided into 2 sections. The Picnic has the hock(lower front leg attached and usually the skin /rind is still on)This is leaner and not the best choice for sausage making without adding additional fat.
The Butt is above the picnic and has a more favorable lean to fat ratio.

But this critical ratio only works if it is untrimmed and whole-Portioning and trimming remove critical fat

Grinding and regrinding do not affect fat ratios. They remain constant.
However dull blades and letting the meat warm to much can cause smear and destroy protein bonds.

Research Myosin-it is essentially meat glue and once you learn to develop it with the correct fat/lean ratios -it is the difference between crumbly taco meat and a firm plump juicy sausage

One grind is your right and may be your preference, but I find it easier to exploit the myosin advantage with 2 or more grinds depending on my desired outcomes.
One grind is plenty for a fresh sausage with coarse attributes. But a smoked Polish might benefit from a different approach.

There are always options to add texture. Some of the most interestingly textured sausages that I have had have combinations of both ground and hand-cut additions.

Based completely on your preference.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote drinks Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 May 2015 at 14:50
I prefer a sausage or ground meat to have a more coarse texture.
I like the tongue to be able to find small pieces, not a homogenous mass.
I make " chopped steak" even when I grind yard bird for my wife.
I especially like game meats with a noticeable texture.
Pork loin as chopped steak is a favorite of mine.
I really need to find salmon on sale and try some of it in a sausage, has anyone here tried salmon sausage?
I am thinking of trying sucker fish as sausage, though I may have to use a finer plate, say 5mm, to get the bones down where they are not a problem.
Any fish sausage or fish burger results here?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote gonefishin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 May 2015 at 09:16
    Hi Tom!

  can you provide the recipe (and any variations) that you used to make the sausages?  Also...how did you cook them, specifically?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote HistoricFoodie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 May 2015 at 10:12
Drinks, something to try with the sucker is to par-boil the filets until they just firm up. Then you can strip them off the bones with little fuss.

I learned that from a Michigan guide who uses the sucker meat to make a chowder for his shore lunches.

Open question: Will even the partial cooking destroy its value as sausage meat?

As to fish burgers and sausages, I make them all the time. I use the standard plate (5/16?) and it works fine. I don't use casings with fish sausage. Instead I use cling film to shape and hold them, and poach the whole thing.

BTW, for the "tooth" you are looking for, add coarsely chopped crayfish tails to the mix after you grind it.
But we hae meat and we can eat
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote drinks Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 May 2015 at 11:32
I do not know how much you have to pay for mudbug meat,but here the chinese frozen is $15 lb and to use fresh, with the 8-10 % yield , costs about $30-35 lb.
The reason I have 2 traps and when I need a mudbug fix I hit the little lake for rusty's .
Takes a few days to get a mess, but they are fresh, I pop the tails off and collect in the freezer until I have a quart or so.
Do you know anyone who has tried the par boiled sucker in sausage or cakes?
Would you post a sausage recipe?
I am especially interested in what you use for fat and the approximate percentage.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tom Kurth Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 May 2015 at 15:40
Hi. Thanks for the responses. Can't provide the exact recipe--I know what book it came out of but not which recipe or what mods I may have made. I'm pretty sure I shorted the fat and I don't recall adding any liquid at all. Got a pork butt in the fridge. I think I can get some pork fat from the local slaughter plant. Think I'll give it a try again.
Best,
Tom

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote HistoricFoodie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 May 2015 at 06:55
No, Drinks, I don't know anyone whose used pre-cooked sucker meat for sausages. I've used it to make fish cakes, however, and it works fine.

Extra fat in fish sausage? Why would you do that? Fish sausages are more of a mousse, shaped and cooked, then a traditional cased sausage.

Any fat comes from the fish itself.Most fish sausage recipes use salmon. But you can substitute any cheaper or more available fish at your pleasure. In my recipe I’m using the finned fish as bulk. Flavor comes from the other seafood. So tilapia works just fine.

Brook’s Seafood Sausage

½ lb raw tilapia, trimmed, or other finned fish
1 lb raw shrimp, peeled
6-8 oz crab meat
12 oz crayfish tails, cooked
1 large shallot, minced
1 tsp fennel seed, coarsely ground
1 tbls dry tarragon
2 tbls fresh parsley, minced
¾ tsp white pepper, ground
2 egg whites
2 tbls cream

Cut tilapia in small pieces. Toss tilapia with the shrimp, crab, tarragon, parsley, fennel seed and pepper so that spices are ev enly distributed. Run through medium plate of grinder.

Mix in the shallot and crafish tails as evenly as possible.

Lightly beat egg whites with cream. Incorporate into seafood mixture.

Lay seafood mixture out on a rectangle of plastic film, using about 4 rounded tablespoons for each sausage. Roughtly shape into a log about three inches long. Wrap film tightly around seafood. Wwist one end and tie off. Twist other end, compressing mixture as much as possible, and tie off.

Poach sausages in water, stock, or wine about 15 minutes. Use immediately, or hold in a cold water bath until ready to use.

Makes 16-18 sausages, Poached sausages freeze very well, so can be made ahead if necessary.
But we hae meat and we can eat
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tom Kurth Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 May 2015 at 20:50
Made another attempt at sausage today with added fat, no liquid. Just made fresh sausage, did not use casings. After the first grinding I fried a sample. OK but not spicy enough so added some spices and reground since it was quite coarse-wouldn't hold together well in frypan. Really made a big difference.

The recipe:

3.75# pork butt
.75# pork fat
2.25 t. Kosher salt
1.125 t. black pepper, fine ground
.75 t. dried thyme
2.125 t. ground sage
.375 t. winter savory
1.125 t. sugar
.125 t. cayenne pepper

Additional spices:

1 t. sage
1 t. black pepper
.5 t. winter savory

It's wife approved and I liked it as well. So all's good. Next time I'll try casings and smoke. Thanks for the help.
Best,
Tom

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Percebes Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 May 2015 at 18:39
How great that you made what sounds like a tasty sausage.

Frustration certainly can arise when you invest the time, energy and money to make something and it does not turn the way you hope.

Early in my chef training I was given some great advice.

The class was on making emulsified dressings.
So my instructor gave us the requisite instructions to join unmixable elements and we made a basic Mayonnaise.

Some had success, some had broken Mayonnaise adding the oil too fast or not acidulating the egg first.

After everyone had achieved a successful result, the instructor looked at me and smiled and he said.

"And now you know the secret to making sausage"

And he was right because to make an exceptional sausage you are emulsifying the elements so they hold together.

Changed my life to think in this fashion-sausage is not simply grinding meat and adding spice and yet sausage is as simple as grinding meat and adding spice.
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